The flight down on Thursday night was a bit bumpier than we had hoped for, but we fared well. C’s back was pretty sore after having to sit still for 3 hours. And I was “that guy” for the first time in my life (certainly not the last). You know, that guy that has to get 30 things from his bag in the overhead, 30 seperate times.
Travel tips by D: If you can, try to book a flight that will afford you the opportunity to see a sunset at 30,000 feet. It was a spectacular bonus.
As soon as we stepped off the plane, the melting began. You see, when we left Minnesota it was in the 50s and cloudy. Arriving at San Antonio at 10PM, it was in the 80s and muggy. Mommy was ready for bed. Baby was mostly still, so he/she was ready for bed too I reckon. After a snafu at Thrifty car, and a free upgrade to the convertible, we make the 10 mile trek to the hotel, inspect the room and balcony, and crash.
Friday, we planned on going to Sea World. I had this planned to a T. I’m one of those Netziens who can find nearly anything on the Internets. So I started looking for discount tickets nearly a week ago. Checked Craigslist, all the coupon sites, and the travel sites. The biggest thing I heard was to go to the local HEB grocer and get discounts there (much like Six Flags and Jewel Food Stores back in Chicago). Knowing this before we left, I googled the closest HEBs to our hotel. 646 S. Main Street was the one. So we depart at about 10am to get there and buy tickets. The area was more industrial than retail, which was a tad unsettling.
After wandering for a few minutes, top down, 80 degrees and sunny, I decided to call. It seems that the HEB I was looking for was the old corporate headquarters. Not a store. Great! But, the folks I talked to on the phone were MORE than helpful. The gal wasn’t sure where to find a store nearby, so she grabbed a guy that would. He started looking on (of all things) google maps. In his search, he asked what we looking to get, so that he could call the store to verify (he didn’t even know we were looking for tickets!). I told him, he called. They had 2 day passes, but no 1 day deals. At this point, I thought our relationship was over. But no, he went above and beyond. He started to go through the seaworld website to get them for us. I gave him the tip I found, which was to plug in “cingular” in their promo codes to get 20% off. If it weren’t for having to pass CC info over to him to buy the tickets (a realization I made before he noticed), we would have our tickets. Though he worked on the north side of the city, and we were south, he had a buddy that worked at the area we were at. He was willing to send the link over to his buddy and have him print it out and meet us at the gate. Now that’s customer service! Thank you “Guy I don’t remember your name”!
So after all that, we head back to the hotel, print out the e-tickets from the business center, and finally get underway. After missing my turn a few seperate times, we finally make it at about noon.
First stop was the dolphins, where C got to feed and pet them. Something she’s always wanted to do. It was so great watching her interact with them. I can only imagine her interaction with our baby. 
Next up was Viva. At this point, I’m learning how to operate a camera at an “aquatic zoo”. The trick, as I later explain, has nothing to do with timing. This show was a mix between Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil, with animals. It was really neat! And as an added bonus, we were kissed by the Beluga Whales (I’ve got pics to prove it!).
After that, we putzed around for a while. Checked out Alligator Alley, the Pink Flamingos (no, not the band), and saw a show in 4D (apparantly, most of the 4th dimension is made up of water, dropping from the ceiling). Then, it was about time for the reason everyone knows Sea World: Shamu.
We got our seats, right by the camera guy, in the 15th row. During the pre-show, we learned that the appropriately named Soak Zone extends to… the 16th row. Goodie! The show was phenominal. Beautifully choreographed, strong meaning, alot of fun. The message was “believe”. Believe you can do something, and you will. Great message!
But I think the kids will remember something else about that show a little more….
The rest of the day was kinda blurry. Dehydration is a bitch. Checked a few more things out, then learned another valuable lesson. When C likes something in a gift store, don’t try to talk her out of it, regardless of how nice it may seem. Standing in the gift shop at the main gate of Sea World, she was unable to find a shot glass (for her collection) that she liked better than the one outside of the Shamu pavillion…. at the other end of the park… at 545PM when the park closes at 6. Normally, we would hot foot it back to the other end, and purchase said object of importance. But, with her being as far along as she is, and the traffic moving in the wrong direction, I chose to go it alone. I am about 30 feet from the store when the last customer walks out, and the employee pulls the door closed, oblivious to my pleas of “wait wait wait!”. I get to the door just as it latches closed (I swear, I can’t make this stuff up). I knock, with my “big ole innocent grin” on. She looks back with that “you’ve got to be kidding me” look that only gals of her age can pull off properly. I put my hands up in the begging mode, saying “please?” in my most innocent look. She obliges, I dart in, grab said shot glass, pay and thank profusely as I rock outta there in 30 seconds flat. Some times, charm and innocense go a long way.
Left and got lost on the ride back to the hotel, dropped some things off, took the car back to Thrifty, hopped the shuttle back to the airport (same guy as Thursday night who was so damn cool). Made it back to the hotel by 915. Walked a little bit of the riverwalk, found some food, ate on the balcony I’m sitting on right now.
I believe C will be a great mommy. I believe I will be a great daddy! I believe you will be great in all you do.